Shrouded rotary seal



Sept 13, l949-A C.A w. s'r-RATFORD ET AL 2,481,888

sHRoUDED ROTARY SEAL Filed June l0, 1944 Patented Sept. 13,E1949 snaoUnEn ao'rAaY SEAL.

Charles W. Stratford and Herbert W. Stratford,

Kansas City, Mo., asslgnors to Stratford Development Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a

corporation of Delaware Application June 1o, 1944, serial No. 539,628A 2 claims. (ci. 28s-11.15)

This invention relates to improvement in seals for rotating shafts and refers more particularly to seals adaptable for use on shafts rotating at high speed and under high pressure conditions and whose construction includes stationary and rotating parts which are self-aligning with the shaft axis as well as assemblies which assure lubricated fluid-tight conditions.

To meet the more exacting conditions of high speed and high pressure a seal surrounding a rotating shaft must have smooth fluid-tight contacting faces between the stationary and rotating parts and the faces should be maintained at all times normal with the shaft axis. Furthermore, a seal should prevent passage of fluid around the parts as well as migration of the fluid along the rotating shaft. The effectiveness of the construction of the instant seal can only be appreciated with the knowledge that the sealing or contacting faces of the stationary and rotating parts are maintained normal with the axis of the rotating shaft in terms of micro inch dimensions.

Heretofore it has been common practice t rigidly x the stationary part of the sealing assembly in the machine housing 'or supporting structure relying upon the rotating part to accommodate itself to the contacting face of the stationary part during operation. The surfaces between Vthe contacting faces of the stationary and rotating parts are machined to a degree of exactness that would assure the best possible seal. Small irregularities in either of the contacting faces or slight departures of the shaft axis from straight line rotation for any cause resulted in ruptures and leakage between the stationary and rotating parts of the seal.

The present construction aims to correct difficulties heretofore experienced by providing for Vself-alignment of the stationary and rotating parts of the seal with the axis of the shaft at al1 times. It also assures effective closure elements in the form of serrations between the parts which serve to prevent migration of the iiuid around the parts fand along the shaft.

A further advantage of the seal is the shrouding or enclosing of parts which rotate at high speed with the shaft thereby reducing to a minimum friction and heat developed by rotation of the parts in the surrounding :duid lubricant and the resultant power loss therefrom.

An additional feature of novelty is the manner in which the shaft bearing is mounted between the seals permitting adequateH and effective lubrication, preventing exposure to diluent or corrosive iiuids and providing accessibility and ease of assembly or disassembly.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views there is shown one embodiment` of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a center sectional view of a double seal utilizing the seal construction on opposite sides of a bearing,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of that portion of the seal where the stationary insert and rotating portions have their contacting surfaces, and

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

'Referring to the drawings, at I0 is shown a portion of the machine upon which the seal is to be used and in which is formed the seal housing II through which extends the shaft I2. Bolted to the machine IIJ and forming the outer closure for the sealhousing as well as a support for the bearing sleeve I3 is a member I4. \The hollow space I5 within Athe member I4 corresponds to the chamber or housing II formed in the machine I0. These enclosures II and I5 are connected by a duct I6 and serve as a circulating space for the fluid lubricant which surrounds the bearings and seals. This lubricant is introduced through pipe I'l and is discharged through outlet I8 providing an adequate and clean supply of lubricant at all times to the seals and bearings.

Fixed t0 the shaft I-2 is a driving sleeve comprising an internal cylindrical member I9 onto which is shrunk a bearing portion I9a. Extending longitudinally from the bearing portion on opposite sides of the shaft are dogs I9b. To x` the driving sleeve to the shaft set screws 20 extending through the driving sleeve seat against flattened portions on the periphery of the shaft. There is suilicient clearance between the O. D. of the shaft and the I. D. of the driving sleeve to permit its easy removal from the shaft when the set screws are backed oi.

A flanged support ring 2l is held in 'the end of housing II by bolts 22. This ring has a fluidthe gaskets circular serrations 24a. The gasket material upon which the ends of the stationary inserts seat may be of rubber, neoprene or any type of compressible material including asbestos compositions orv ductile thin metal sheets such as copper, silver and lead. The serration formed in the end of the inserts may be either knife edged or rectangular in cross section according to the character of the gasket and the pressures to be confined.

, The rotating assembly driven by the sleeve I9 is identical in both seals and comprises a seal ring 26 having an extension or shroud 26a overlapping the ends of the driving sleeve I9 and having engagement with the dogs ISb by cutout portions 26C into which the dogs t. Between the ends of the driving sleeve and seal rings 26 and beneath shrouds 26a of the rings are enclosed coil springs 21 and compressible packing rings 28. Between the ends of the springs 21 and'the packing rings are compression rings 29. Facing the surfaces of the packing rings adjacent the shaft and upon one surface of the packing rings extending radially from the shaft are reinforcement members shown in the form of angle rings 30. These reinforcement members or rings lying adjacent the abutting edges of the packing rings and the shaft furnish a sealing surface between the packing elements and the shaft` as well as the packing elements and the sealing ring. To assure a seal joint between the abutting surfaces of the packing rings and the seal rings there is formed on the seal ring surfaces serrations 26h. Axial pressure imposed upon the packing ringsI by means of springs 21 seats the reinforcement or angle rings against the serrations of the seal rings causing them to bite into the surfaces of the abutting reinforcement members and form a pressure-tight closure between the two surfaces. This axial spring pressure is likewise transmitted through the resilient material of the packing rings to produce a fluid-tight seal between the reinforcement rings and the shaft, The character of the fluid against which seal is to be provided will determine the type of the material of the reinforcing rings. Ductile metal such as copper, silver and the like are adaptable for use with some fluids while others, due to their corrosive properties, require the use of synthetic plastic materials.

It will be noted that accessories and adjuncts to the seal assembly which are mounted upon the periphery of the shaft and extend radially therefrom are completely enclosed and surrounded by a smooth housing in the form of the shroud portion 26a of the seal rings, thus friction and resistance resulting from the high rotative speed of the assembly within the oil-filled enclosures is reduced to a minimum. A shaft rotating at high speed, with the seal parts such as springs, multiple pins and supports exposed, rapidly agitates the lubricant and produces objectionable heat and would render the lubricant relatively ineffective.

The contacting faces of the stationary inserts 24 and rotating seal rings 26 are preferably reduced to mirror-like surfaces or Supernish which amounts to substantially optical fiatness,

providing a fluid-tight seal at their contacting surfaces. In other words, the seal at the contacting surfaces preferably involves terms of micro inch dimensions with respect to atness and its being normal to the axis of the rotating shaft. Furthermore, it is the intended purpose of the construction of the seal assembly to maintain this normalcy with the axis of the shaft at all times during the shafts rotation. To eiect this purpose clearance is provided between the inserts and the shaft and the inserts and the enclosing housing structure. Likewise, clearance is provided between the seal rings and the shaft and between the shrouds of the seal rings and the driving sleeve. Thus, when axial pressure is imposed by the Asprings 21 against the packing rings, and through the packing rings to the seal rings and inserts, alignment of the seal rings and inserts with the shaft `axis is assured. This results from the fact that the inserts seat against flexible gaskets on narrow circular serrations located on their end'faces and have freedom of movement laterally Within the housings which surround them. Clearance between the shaft and the seal rings permits the seal rings to accommodate themselves to the position of the inserts so that the inserts and seal rings are kept automatically in alignment with the axis of the shaft at all times by axial pressure of the springs 21.

Migration of uid around the inserts is prevented by the pressuretight closure formed by seating of the insert serrations in the flexible gaskets. Likewise, passage of fluid around the outside of the packing rings is prevented by the serration on the inner radial surface of the seal rings which is pressed into the reinforcement on the abutting surface of the packing rings.

While there has been shown and described a double seal arranged on opposite sides of a bearing with facilities provided for oil circulation around the bearings and seal assembly, it is contemplated as well that a single seal may be used incorporating the construction and features described,

The importance of maintaining the sealing elements in alignment with the shaft axis is best appreciated where the seal is adapted for use with a relatively small shaft operating at high speeds. Whipping of the shaft under these circumstances and periodic or vibratory disturbances of any kind cause the axis of the shaft to depart, during its rotation, from a straight line. Such oscillations will disturb and break the closure between the contacting faces of the seal if alignment of the stationary and rotating parts is not automatically maintained. As an example, seals in vapor contactors were operated at speeds in excess of 13,000 R. P. M. with relatively perfect results in practically completely shutting oif passage of uid through the seal surfaces even when relatively high oil pressures were used within the seal housing.

Besides the automatic self-aligning characteristics of the seal, an advantage not found in ordinary seals where the stationary part or insert is fixed Within the housing, there is the additional advantages of enclosing the rotating parts to reduce friction and production of heat and the iinishing of the contacting surfaces to substantially optical iiatness to obtain a fluid-tight joint between the stationary and rotating surfaces.

Merit is also found in the design of the seal and bearing assembly wherein the bearing is positioned between the seals instead of within the body of the machine. By locating the bearing outside of the machine it is removed from exposure to diluent or corrosive fluids and may be easily and effectively lubricated.

In regard to the material used in the packing elements or rings 28 resilient substances such as rubber or rubber compounds, both natural or synthetic, rectangular lin cross section and faced with reinforcement rings 30 of ductile material such as copper, aluminum or silver having a thickness of .010 inch to .015 inch or a shrouding made of synthetic plastic material which have sufficient strength and are resistant to the fluids to be sealed have proved satisfactory.

In addition to the axial pressure imposed by the springs 2l upon the sealing rings and inserts, iiuid pressure of the liquid within the housing surrounding the seals likewise imposes heavy pressure upon the flexible gaskets against which the inserts are seated and compresses the resilient material of the packing rings to assure pressure-tight seal against the shaft and sealing rings.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the invention is well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A seal assembly for a rotating shaft including a stationary insert and a rotating seal ring having contacting faces normal with the axis of the shaft, spring means and a flexible packing element on the opposite side oi' the seal ring from the insert all enclosed within the housing and coacting to maintain a seal at the contacting faces of the insert and seal ring, a reinforcement ring of more resistant material than the composition of the packing element facing the sur- 4,5

faces of said packing element adjacent the shaft and seal ring, an annular knife edge ridge at one end of the insert between the insert and housing adapted to automatically align the seal assembly with the axis of the rotating shaft and a second annular knife edge sealing ridge between the seal ring and the ring of resistant material facing the packing element.

2. A seal assembly for a rotating shaft including a stationary insert and a rotating seal ring having contacting faces normal with the axis of the shaft,` spring means and a exible packing element on the opposite side of the seal ring from the insert all enclosed within a housing and coacting to maintain a seal at the contacting faces of the insert and seal ring, a reinforcement ring I of more resistant material than the composition of the packing element facing the surfaecs of said packing element adjacent the shaft and seal ring, a shroud portion on the seal ring enclosing the spring means and reinforced packing element, an annular knife edge ridge at one end of the insert between the insert and housing adapted to automatically align the seal assembly with the axis of the rotating shaft and a second annular knife edge sealing ridge between the seal ring and reinforced packing element.

CHARLES W. SI'RA'I'FORD. HERBERT W. S'I'RAI'FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Switzerland 1927 

